Junior Austin Anderson was banged up early in the second half, suffering an injury to his left elbow. Then, following a kickoff return late in the third quarter, star wide receiver Brian Lemelle missed the rest of the game with a foot/elbow problem that required ice. He left on crutches.

Fortunately for the Crusaders, back Rashad Lawson (neck) was part of a three-man rotation that combined for 216 rushing yards and three scores. Lawson picked up 51 yards on nine totes.

“We just gotta get some bodies healthy for our playoff run,” McDevitt coach Jeff Weachter said. “Losing Lemelle and Austin Anderson ... it hurts you not having them. Those guys help us so much.

Enter 6-0, 230-pound lineman Brian Finley, who trotted on following QB Kyle Cook’s short TD run midway through the third quarter of Harrisburg’s eventual 34-14 win.

What Finley did next — he grabbed an over-the-head flip from Cook, the holder, and took off around the left side (see the cover photo) — certainly shocked the Eagles.

“That was something I put in, something to just back some of those guys off us a little bit,” Everett said with a wide grin. “It worked.”

Finley did beat the CV defense to the corner and later converted the PAT kick on Harrisburg’s last score. 

GEIGER ROUNDING INTO FORM: Trinity senior tailback Adam Geiger, who has been nursing an injured ankle the past few weeks, rounded back into form Friday night in the Shamrocks’ 28-25 win over Susquenita.

Geiger carried 22 times for 185 yards and scored on touchdown runs of 24 and 9 yards. He also had a 41-yard run in the fourth quarter, but it ended in a fumble just over midfield.

“Geiger is going to get better,” Trinity coach Bill Ragni said.

“He didn’t touch the ball much this week. We only have him a few carries in practice, so it took him a little while to get going.”

Geiger had only 31 yards in the first half, but touched the ball 14 times in the third quarter for 105 yards and the 9-yard TD. 

EVERYONE GETS A TURN: Why should one quarterback have all the glory?

In Susquehanna Twp.’s 48-19 win over Mechanicsburg, five players completed passes, and it was nearly six. Indians starter Jordan Baskerville was 8-for-13 for 185 yards, two touchdowns and one 2-point conversion. But Susquehanna Twp. place holder Jaquan Blair was 1-for-1 for 18 yards and a touchdown on a fake field goal, and threw in a 2-point pass on a fake extra point.

Malachi Simpson was 1-for-2 and Paul Diamond was 0-for-1 after a deep pass to the right was almost pulled in for a big gain.

On Mechanicsburg’s side, Tyler Schubert was 9-for-18 for 95 yards and Mitchell Ramsey was 4-for-6 for 27 yards. 